Under the Tree
by Alice-pyon
Summary: Post-Book 1. Mako, noticing the stress that Korra is carrying under the weight of her Avatar duties, takes her back to their tree as a way to calm her mind and help her find some peace.


Hiii! This is my 3rd round submission for the Probending tournament.

Position: Manager

Team: White Falls Wolfbats

Element: Spirits

Prompts: (easy) love, (medium) amber, (hard) "Do not dwell in the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment." – Buddha

Reviews, favorites, and follows much appreciated!

* * *

She sits still – eyes closed, fists clenched, and back straight. The summer sun beats down onto her cheeks, and she is aware of the moisture that is pooling under her bangs, below her eyes, even down her neck…

She twitches and fidgets slightly, trying to leave her current world and enter a new one; preferably one with new lands and untold legends and hmm… _spirits, maybe?_

But her environment does not change, and she can feel her anger start to boil and her patience start to thin.

A frustrated sigh escapes her lips, and she is aware of the figure beside her that shifts at her small outburst.

"You know, you're welcome to go back inside if you'd like," Korra mutters, her eyes still shut tight. She hears a soft chuckle beside her. "We're not leaving until six, Mako…"

"I like sitting with you," Mako says simply, shrugging next to her. "Keep meditating, Korra. I'll try to stay as quiet as possible."

"It's not you, don't worry," Korra groans, opening her eyes. He is staring down at her, concerned, and she reaches over him to grab the stray newspaper he'd been reading before. She finds her picture on the front page and scans the first few lines of the article.

_Avatar Korra, 17, finished her last session yesterday evening. Visiting apartments on the south side of town, the Avatar restored the bending of the remaining citizens who had been affected by the Equalist incident that occurred two weeks prior. The supposed leader of the rebel group, Amon, is reported missing, as is Councilman Tarrlock._

Korra sighs again and rubs her temples, trying to ebb away some of the pain in her head.

She feels a hand on her shoulder, and amber eyes lock with hers. "Are you okay?"

Korra waves away his concern and rolls up the paper to start fanning herself with it. "I'm fine. I'm just glad to have some down time for the first time since…" She blinks. "Since I came to Republic City, actually…"

"You don't seem very relaxed, Korra."

She chuckles. "Guess not." She shifts and turns to face him. Her hand is entwined with his in an instant, and she takes comfort in the gesture. "I thought, now that everything has calmed down, that I'd be able to find some peace and meditate into the spirit world."

"I think you're rushing into this," Mako says, rubbing her arm. "You need to let it come naturally."

Korra pouts and blows her bangs away from her sweaty forehead. Mako laughs at her expression.

"I'm glad you're here, by the way," Korra says seriously. "Even if it's only noon… really Mako, are you _that_ afraid of being late on our first date?"

Korra surprises herself at the term, _first date_, but it really_ is_ their first time going out together as a couple. Everything in their relationship had felt so natural since they'd admitted their love for each other back in the South Pole.

Now, they were going to officially celebrate their status together as a new couple. Granted, it wasn't Kwongs they'd be going to – Korra didn't care for expensive dining – but she was still excited to spend some time with her… boyfriend.

_Yup, boyfriend_, Korra thinks confidently, a small smile gracing her lips. _That's what he is, and I better get used to it!_

"I like waiting here with you," Mako reminds her again.. "We'll leave at six, after your meditation and training session with Tenzin."

Korra frowns at the idea and starts to feel the ache in her tired muscles again. "Did I tell you? Tenzin cancelled." She grins, nudging his side. "He decided to take Pema out and get her away from the kids for a bit. Bumi is watching them." She rolls her shoulders and sighs. "I needed a break, so it's good."

Mako smiles, his amber eyes lighting up. "Alright. If you don't mind, maybe we could leave a bit earlier? There's somewhere I want to take you before dinner."

"Let's go right now," Korra says, jumping to her feet. Mako stumbles after her. "I'm sick of meditating."

"But Korra –"

"It's a lost cause," Korra says nonchalantly, brushing him aside. Mako looks at her with worry, but otherwise stays quiet when he starts to follow Korra to the pier where the ferry boat waits.

"So, where we going, Cool Guy?"

Mako shakes away his worry and musters up a grin. "You'll see."

* * *

"… Mako?"

Korra stares up at the leafy canopy of the tree the couple stands under. He holds her hand in his and is looking down at her expectantly.

"It's our tree."

Mako sighs in relief, and Korra glances up at him quizzically.

"I was afraid you wouldn't remember."

"Of course I do," Korra huffs, letting him pull her down to the ground. They rest against the rough bark of the tree, their shoulders pressed together.

They sit in content silence, watching different people walk along the paths in the park before them.

"It's been awhile since we've been here," Korra notes, her eyes drooping slightly. "I forgot how peaceful it was."

Mako chuckles when Korra's head slumps against his shoulder. "Someone's tired."

Korra grunts in reply.

"Don't go drooling on my coat again like you did the first time."

"Asshole."

Mako laughs again, and Korra smiles through her tiredness. The shade of the tree shields them from the hot summer sun, but suddenly a thought is forming on her tongue, and she rouses herself from her half-consciousness to sit up and look at Mako.

"You've been worried, haven't you?" She asks, and Mako shifts his gaze to her. "I just realized it now. I've been spending so much time giving people their bending back and meditating and… _yikes_, I must look awful."

"You never look awful," Mako tells her. "Just tired… you look beat down."

Korra rubs a hand down her cheek and yawns. "I haven't been sleeping well. I've been stressed."

"I figured… Do you want to talk about it?"

Korra thinks for a moment. Does she…? She'd been avoiding the subject for the last few weeks now… trying to keep it all inside. Act strong for the public in the aftermath of a near war. But she's alone now, with Mako. Who's willing to listen…

"_I don't care if you're the Avatar or not."_

"Let's talk," Korra says immediately, and Mako nods as Korra turns to sit cross-legged, facing him. "We'll chat, get some stuff off my chest… and then go on our first date."

"I'm considering this part of the date, actually."

Korra grins and punches his shoulder. "Alright then! Serious discussions on our _first date_."

"We're really picking up steam here," Mako jokes, and Korra laughs – a smile breaking her features and creeping up into her cerulean eyes. "I haven't seen you smile like that in awhile."

"It's easy with you, I guess," Korra says, looking down and playing with his gloved fingers. "I stop thinking about everything when I'm with you."

"What do you mean by everything?"

"Oh, I mean _everything_," Korra sighs, throwing back her hand. "All this Avatar stuff… I'm worried about the past… and the future."

Mako squints, his amber eyes hardening.

"I'm always worrying about the spirit world, and how I can't connect," Korra says lowly. "I have to connect back to Aang soon. What if something happens again? What if the world is faced with something new… something dangerous? I… didn't know what to do until Aang showed up… during that time in the South Pole."

"Korra…"

"I didn't do anything, Mako," Korra whispers. "People are calling me a hero and this amazing Avatar, but _I didn't do anything_. Aang did. Aang gave me back my bending." She looks up at him, her lip slightly trembling as she tries to explain to him what's been eating at her so viciously.

"I didn't do anything during the Equalist revolution. I _have_ to connect to my past lives more than ever, so that in the future they can teach me what to do when there's trouble…"

"You don't think you can trust your own judgment?" Mako asks, taking Korra's hand in his and gripping tightly.

"… No, I don't."

"I think you can."

She looks away. "Mako…"

"You've accomplished more than you think… I don't think you give yourself enough credit, Korra," Mako says, trying to catch his girlfriend's eyes. "Everything you did during Amon's grab for power… that was you. _You _helped me save Bolin. _You_ saved Tenzin and the kids. You were the one that unlocked your airbending,_ all on your own."_

"But –"

"That whole thing with Aang?" Korra freezes, looking up at him uncertainly. "I don't think he would have come to you if he felt that weren't a gifted person on your own terms. Aang sees something in you – something special – so he connected with you and helped you back on your feet to show you that, Korra."

She is silent, and Mako continues, his voice picking up speed and passion.

"I don't think you need the voices of the past Avatars, and I think Aang has probably realized that too, wherever he is."

"It's just…" Korra mutters. "It's just… I'm afraid. I'm afraid that I'll mess up, and everyone will…"

"If you keep worrying about what _can go wrong, _then it probably will," Mako shrugs. "You've just got to live in the present and handle things in the moment."

"Handle things in the moment…"

Korra leans forward and plants a quick kiss against Mako's cheek. He blushes slightly, looking down at her.

"And… uh… that was for…?"

"I'm handling things in the moment, and right now my moment is here, with you," Korra laughs. Mako grins before leaning down and pressing his lips against hers. The kiss is slow – relaxed. When they break away, Korra feels content, and for the first time in awhile – at peace.

And tired.

_Dead tired_.

"I'm really glad that this is our first date…" Korra sighs, nestling against his shoulder. "And I hope you don't mind… but I'm _really _sleepy…"

"Why do you think I took you here in the first place?" Mako laughs, and she blinks one eye open at him. "I figured this was a prime spot to take a nap. We've done it once before, after all…"

"Best first date ever, then," Korra yawns, her mind drifting to nothingness and Mako's warmth giving her a calming sense of comfort.


End file.
